


Permanent Reminder

by eyeslikeonyx



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, Sid is still a hockey player, Tattoo Artist!Geno, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 07:32:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15334944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyeslikeonyx/pseuds/eyeslikeonyx
Summary: When Sid, Tanger, and Flower arrive at the tattoo parlor recommended to them by one of the guys on the team, it’s the day after they win the Cup, and they’re mostly sober with no one there to supervise them.





	Permanent Reminder

**Author's Note:**

> cross-posted from my [tumblr](http://eyeslikeonyx.tumblr.com)

When Sid, Tanger, and Flower arrive at the tattoo parlor recommended to them by one of the guys on the team, it’s the day after they win the Cup, and they’re mostly sober with no one there to supervise them.

Sid can say he is in a pretty good state of mind when he walks up to the lady with the spider web tattoo on the side of her neck at the counter.

“My buddies and I wanted to get matching tattoos,” he tells her. She grins.

“Well, you’ve come to the right place. Let me call our best tattoo artist and get him to come in. He’s supposed to be off today, but I’m sure he can make an exception for Sidney Crosby.”

Sid blushes and thanks her before going to sit down with Flower and Tanger again. The two of them are worse for wear and will probably regret these tattoos later on this summer (maybe today), but they seem pretty thrilled to get a cat nap in before their artist shows up.

Thirty minutes later, a tall, lanky guy bursts through the front doors of the parlor, coffee in one hand and keys in the other. He looks like he just rolled out of bed with his brunette hair sticking up all over the place and his clothes all rumpled.

“What you call me in for, Tanya?” he grumbles, accent thick and deep, then takes a sip from his coffee cup. “I tell you I’m want two days off for game.”

“Ok, Geno, but you’re about to get some new, important clientele in the next few minutes.”

“Who?”

Sid takes that as his cue to move Tanger’s head over onto Flower’s shoulder and stand up. He clears his throat to catch the tall man’s attention.

When the man turns around to face him, Sid has to blink and rub his eyes. There is no way anyone can be this good-looking in real life. He definitely doesn’t have his beer goggles on, so he knows that this guy is real. The man’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Sidney Crosby?” he says. Sid grins and nods.

“My friends and I wanted to get matching tattoos to celebrate winning the Cup,” he explains. “Sorry for making you come in on such short notice, but we heard this was the best place to get tattoos, and—”

“Of course. Best tattoo parlor. Best tattoo artists.” The man reaches a large hand out for Sid. “Evgeni Malkin. Part owner here. Can call me Geno.”

Sid notices the pictures of art encompassing Geno’s arm and is quick to take his hand and shake it. His skin feels so warm against his own.

“Nice to meet you, Geno.”

**~ ~ ~**

Geno does Tanger’s tattoo first— _2009 Stanley Cup Champions_ written just below a small, detailed replica of the Stanley Cup on his bicep—and then does Flower’s on the goalie’s shoulder blade. The longer the time passes, the more anxious Sid gets. He’s not scared of needles or anything like that, but he still doesn’t know how to feel about having something so permanent on his body like that. It almost feels like a jinxing of his career, of sorts.

“You next, Sid?” Geno asks. Tanger and Flower both smirk at Sid, fully sober and ready to peer pressure Sid into getting the same tattoo as them. It’s almost like a challenge, a dare to back out at the last minute.

Sid puffs out his chest a little and nods. 

“Yeah. I want it on my ribcage.”

“Left or right side?”

“Left.”

Geno nods and grins.

“Take off shirt and lay on bench. I’m come back with clean needle.”

Flower sends a knowing smirk at Sid’s blush when Geno tells him to take his shirt off. Geno comes back a few minutes later and gets everything set upright next to Sid’s side.

“You get tattoo before?” Geno asks.

“Nope. This’ll be my first one.”

Sid watches as Geno preps Sid’s skin for the tattoo, stares at the way Geno’s tattooed arms bulge and flex with each movement.

“What do they all mean?” Sid blurts out. “Your tattoos, I mean.”

Geno grins and gets the tattoo gun ready.

“This one here,” he begins to explain while pointing at a fancy-looking cross, “is for religion. Orthodox cross.”

Geno keeps rambling on about all of his different tattoos on his arms, his ribs, and his back while getting Sid prepped for the main event. Each of them have different meanings, some more special than others. Sid laughs and asks about the Chinese takeout box on Geno’s left forearm. Geno smiles thoughtfully at the work of art.

“First tattoo I’m ever get. When I first come to United States, I’m sixteen. No job, no friends, only little bit of money. I’m hungry on first day so I ask around for good place to eat. People tell me go to Chinese restaurant. First thing I ever eat here, in Pittsburgh. Still best Chinese place to me. Eat all time.”

Geno gives Sid a serious look.

“Last chance to back out.”

Sid glances between Geno and the gun before decisively lying down on his back, waiting patiently for Geno to permanently ink him.

“If I don’t do it now, I’ll just end up kicking myself about it later,” the champion replies.

“Then relax, and we get started.”

The tattoo doesn’t take very long to do, and the four men talking about the game from the night before helps pass the time. When it’s all said and done, Sid realizes that the tattoo didn’t hurt much at all.

“You two kept telling me it was so painful,” Sid accuses his friends.

“They big babies,” Geno says. “You big, strong, hockey player.”

“Hey!” Tanger butts in. “We’re tough hockey players too! We played the same game as him last night!”

Geno laughs heartily. Sid could listen to that laugh all day.

“Yes, yes, but you not Sidney Crosby. You Kris Something. Can’t remember last name.”

Tanger squawks indignantly at that.

As the three of them start to leave the parlor, Sid can’t help but pause and look back at Geno, who is talking to Tanya some more. He knows that he might be reading this all wrong, but it never hurts to ask.

“I’ll catch up with you guys later,” Sid tells Tanger and Flower. They both look at him incredulously before realization dawns on them. Now they’re smirking.

“Be safe, dude,” Tanger says suggestively.

“Call if you need us!” Flower shouts from behind his shoulder as he and Tanger walk off to go celebrate in the city. Sid couldn’t ask for better friends, even if they’re still not sober enough to make sure that Geno isn’t an ax murderer. At least he has his phone, and it’s fully charged. He watches them go and turn the corner before going back into the shop right as Geno is walking out.

“Back so soon?” the taller man teases. Sid heaves in a deep breath and exhales before responding.

“What’s the name of that Chinese place you went to when you first came to the States?”

“Red Lantern.”

“Never been there.”

Geno seems a little puzzled by the statement, so Sid steps a little closer to him.

“I was hoping you would come with me so I don’t have to try it out alone. I don’t know what’s good there, and you said yourself that you’re a regular. So, what do you say?”

“You ask me on date?”

“Maybe. Is that ok with you?”

Geno grins and takes Sid’s hand into his own.

“Of course. Best date. Best Chinese place. You see.”

**~ ~ ~**

The next tattoo Sid gets, it’s the day after he wins gold in Vancouver. It’s just the five Olympic rings with the year and location of the Games underneath them. He puts that one on the right side of his ribcage.

Then the one after that is of crossed hockey sticks and a puck in between the blades on his bicep. Geno snickers at him but does it, anyway, because he can’t deny his boyfriend anything his heart desires.

He gets four more tattoos between the sticks and puck tattoo and the next two new Stanley Cup victory ones, all of them special in their own way.

A maple leaf on the back of his shoulder to represent his Canadian pride.

Another Olympic tattoo for winning gold at Sochi.

An _E_ for Geno’s given name on his left ring finger since he can’t wear his wedding ring all the time.

A baby penguin over his heart for his and Geno’s daughter.

He rocks the chair in Nadia’s nursery, holding his little girl close to his chest as he feeds her. Geno’s ink-covered arm reaches forward from where he’s kneeling in front of Sid and Nadia and lets the small infant take hold of his finger as she eats.

“She’s beautiful, Sid,” he whispers.

“You say that every time you see her, G,” Sid says fondly. Geno’s dark eyes are reverent when he turns his gaze up to Sid.

“Mean it every time.”

Sid smiles softly down at his husband. Geno has finally decided to get rid of the diamond studs in his ears after Nadia figured out she likes to grab onto his earlobes. Sid’s going to miss them a little, but he’s glad that the tattoos and everything else will remain. He wouldn’t change anything about his husband.

Actually, getting rid of the loud snoring might be the only thing he would get rid of. Nothing else, though.

Not a thing.


End file.
